Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. How often have we heard that?

And yet, what did I do? Try to fix something that wasn't broken. I SHOULD KNOW BETTER!!

I learn that back in 1968 when I was working on my 1957 Chevy. Probably knew it earlier but this one sticks in my head as my aha moment.

I was replacing a leaking gasket on my timing chain cover because it was leaking more oil than I liked. I apparently listened to too many stories about timing chains, so I thought I might as well replace that as well since I was in there.

WRONG! I got it going again, but it was very painful.

Now to the present. My current wireless router has been needing to be reset once or twice a week. Don't know why, but I figured it might be time for a newer, faster version.

I have just spent 2.5 hours of my holiday weekend talking to India (and three different techs). The end result is I am packaging up the Netgear router and returning it.

I should have made that decision the first time I got India and could not understand, but I tried again. When that one failed, I tried to get sneaky to see if I could get to someone with an American accent by going to pre-sales instead of post-sales support.

I got someone better, but after 45 minutes of him taking me through procedures that did not make sense to me, based on the original problem, I finally said thanks and hung up.

He was wanting to make changes on a second laptop when the first one and the desktop were not right yet. It was then that it dawned on me that he STILL did not understand my original issue!

I think I might know the problem, and maybe know a solution to try, but I have already boxed it up and reset the original router and all is well, so I am not going to set it back up to see. Too much time involved in what should have been a simple replacement.

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LOL. Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt.

-- Posted by leeiii on Sat, Jul 2, 2011, at 3:50 PM

I cringe anytime I call for support and hear that accent . . . I immediately know that I will be repeating myself several times and will ask them to repeat what they just said just to only be then transferred to another person in India because we had no clue what each of us was saying. Dell has become really bad about it . . . one time I got so frustrated after being on the phone for almost two hours dealing with people in India that I insisted that I either speak to someone in North America or I would return their product and never order another piece of equipment from them again. I was transferred to a woman who had a southern accent and she solved my problem in five minutes with no problem.

I wish these companies would realize they are damaging their reputation more when they outsource like that. Fortunately for Dell I have had a great experience with every computer I have had or I would quit doing business with them just because of their outsourcing to India.

-- Posted by jaxspike on Sat, Jul 2, 2011, at 9:01 PM

I had the same thing happen with outsourcing of accounts payable. I am trying to get paid, the company here WANTS us to get paid but it took three weeks to resolve the communication.

I don't mind talking to someone with an accent. Heck I get that every time I call up North, and I know I have one to them, BUT if someone says to me that they can not understand my basic comments, I need to get someone else on the line, from my side or theirs.

You are 110% right! It affects their reputation. Their product may be fine, but i will not buy Netgear again unless I know they have changed customer service.

In fact, their product might be too good and that is the problem. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but could a wireless device have such a strong transmission that it overpowers the signal of another?

-- Posted by stevemills on Sun, Jul 3, 2011, at 8:59 AM

I've had the same netgear for 6 years and twice united tele. told me my not getting internet service was my router, but it ended up being their boxes that went bad.

I feel the same way about Dell's outsourcing but I like their computers. I find I have a harder time understanding the women then I do the men in India.

I just ordered a new tower from Dell, my call first went to India, then when he found out I was wanting to place an order he sent my call back here.

But it does seem like just about every company anymore outsourcers their customer service.

-- Posted by bellbuckletn on Sun, Jul 3, 2011, at 9:33 AM

Get a Linksys... easier to deal with.. i spent 45 mins dealing with my spare D link in Texas setting it up.. agggrevating.

-- Posted by 4fabfelines on Sun, Jul 3, 2011, at 9:51 PM

Linksys is what I was replacing, but it had served me well. I am guilty of choosing the Netgear for price. It will now cost me more to return the one and get the other.

The original Linksys was with me for about 6 years and was starting to need a reset twice a week so I thought I would plan ahead.

-- Posted by stevemills on Mon, Jul 4, 2011, at 7:55 AM

Can you believe it? Best Buy has me trying one more time with this wireless router.

They were friendly and as curious as I am about what happened, so... they gave me a possible solution and curious me wants to know if it will work.

I will change the wave band it is operating on to see if it stops blowing away the Verizon router. I just gotta know, but I sure won't be calling Netgear for any support.